Challenges in Current Viticulture: Drought, Heat, and Solar Radiation

Dear Colleagues,

The global viticulture sector is facing growing challenges due to the intensifying impacts of climate change. Increasing drought frequency, heat waves, and irregular rainfall patterns are altering vineyard ecosystems and grapevine physiology. These climatic shifts often lead to changes in berry composition, shortened vine-growing periods, and increased pest and disease pressures, ultimately threatening both yield and wine quality.

Drought may lead to vine water stress which restricts plant water and carbon availability during key phenological stages, reducing vine growth and productivity while accelerating sugar accumulation and disrupting the balance among sugars, acids, and phenolic compounds. Heat stress can alter vine metabolism, berry development, and wine composition by hastening ripening, degrading aromatic and color compounds, and increasing the risk of sunburn damage. Similarly, excess solar radiation, particularly UV-B exposure, can impair photosynthesis, oxidize key grape metabolites, and modify sensory attributes.

Emerging solutions—such as drought-tolerant rootstocks, canopy management, water-use efficiency strategies, alternative sources of water to rainfall, and protective materials (e.g., shading nets, kaolin sprays)—show considerable promise but require further validation across diverse climates, cultivars, and viticultural systems.

We kindly invite researchers to submit their manuscripts to this Special Issue, “Challenges in Current Viticulture: Drought, Heat, and Solar Radiation.” The aim is to gather significant contributions that advance the understanding of how climatic stressors—particularly drought, elevated temperatures, and solar radiation—affect grapevine physiology, vineyard productivity, grape composition, and wine quality.

Dr. Marina Anic
Dr. Jordi Oliver-Manera
Dr. Zvjezdana Markovic
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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